


Retaliation

by AParticularlyLargeBear



Category: Parahumans Series - Wildbow
Genre: Gen, Hate Crimes, Homophobia, Nazis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-11-07 19:34:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20822657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AParticularlyLargeBear/pseuds/AParticularlyLargeBear
Summary: Matt and the boys are heading back home after a job well done. Tonight's a good night to be E88, and a bad night otherwise.Or, maybe not.CW: This contains homophobia, violence, horror elements, and strong allusions to a hate crime. It also involves E88 i.e. nazi ideology. It is not presented with sympathy, however, it spends a good bit of time inside the head of someone with those mindsets. Please be kind to yourself.





	Retaliation

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to the kind folks at Cauldron for giving this a once over before posting.

Matt, bent double with his hands on his knees, finally straightened up, still catching his breath. He gave the rest of his crew a triumphant grin as they each huffed and puffed for air (except Williams, fucker ran 10ks for fun) in the alleyway where they’d taken shelter. They’d cleared something like ten blocks of distance from the scene, pretty unlikely that any cops would come sniffing around this far from the action for a while yet, and by the time the fuzz got out here, they’d all be long gone.

He raised a fist in the air. “Now that’s what I’m talking about, boys! In and out like pros!”

A ragged cheer went up from the four men, most of all from the slightly scraggly teenager who was the most recent addition to their group. There’d been some debate over whether Stu could cut the mustard, what with his twitchy demeanour and patchy beard, but Matt had seen something in him, and here he was now, flush with excitement and a successful job under his belt. Just went to show you couldn’t judge a man’s worth until you put him in the line of fire. Hell, Matt worked in an office, and he’d fancy his chances mano e mano with anyone you cared to throw him in the ring with.

Non-powered, that was. Matt wasn’t an idiot. He stepped over to Stu and clapped him on the shoulder. “And a special congrats to this badass soldier. Stu, you turned up to play tonight.”

Stu grinned widely, showing some blood in his teeth where he’d taken a punch to the face. “Just like you said, no hesitation, Matt, no fucking hesitation!” his voice cracked as he shouted out the last part. He was shaking slightly, suffused with the jittery nervous energy Matt had seen after many a first time.

But hey, it was a natural reaction to joining the cause for real. Kid would remember tonight for the rest of his life. “Right fellas,” said Matt, peeling off a black glove. “Let’s ditch the gear and beat feet.” Nods all around, and the group quickly divested themselves of balaclavas, gloves and bloodstained sweaters, piling them into an oil drum planted here for just this purpose. A coil of rope joined the discarded clothing with a soft thump. Williams handed a jerrycan to Johnny, tall and wide and the last of them to recover from the sprinting, and Johnny poured it into the drum.

“Hey L, we good?” Matt called to their lookout at the mouth of the alleyway, receiving a thumbs up in return. Matt looked back to the others. “Okay, light her up.”

Williams smirked, flicked open a lighter, and then dropped the open flame into the barrel, which went up with a satisfying _whoompf_. Just another hobo fire in the docks, nobody would look twice. Half the evidence dealt with. The other half was wrapped up in a trashbag inside the black canvas bag slung over Williams’ broad shoulders and would take some extra care to dispose of. That was fine, accounted for, the cops didn’t exactly do stop and searches around here.

Matt leaned over the drum, nodding in satisfaction at the flames, then headed for the alleymouth, beckoning Stu, Johnny and Williams to follow. L fell in alongside and they continued on, no longer running, but certainly walking at a good clip. A couple times, Matt had to catch Stu by the arm as he started to accelerate too much, the nerves getting to him. The others were better at keeping their cool and acting calm and natural, but then, they were old hands. Matt and Johnny had been coworkers before he swapped departments, which had always made for some fun veiled conversations around the water cooler. Williams brought Johnny L along a couple years back, and though they’d given him some roasting over his surname, he’d proven ten times over by now that he was a real red-blooded American. Calling him L was a badge of honour now, not a mark of shame.

Also y’know, they had to distinguish him from the other Johnny somehow.

Four blocks out from their drum fire, Williams suddenly pulled up short. Matt stopped, while Stu and Johnny continued on for a few before glancing back. The big man shifted the strap of his bag and frowned, squinting at L next to him, who immediately bristled at the stink eye.

“What? You wanna suck my dick or something?”

“Eat shit, L, and don’t touch my bag,” Williams rumbled back.

L sneered. “I didn’t touch nothing, now you better—”

“Ladies, ladies,” soothed Matt. “You’re both prettier than the dyke, don’t worry.” He grinned winningly and winked. “Well, I suppose anyone would be at this point.” Williams snorted a laugh, L chuckled, and the sudden tension was diffused.

The six of them set off again. Matt hung back just slightly, a smile playing across his face. It felt good, watching all of them basking in the glow of a job well done. Gave him a sense of fulfilment and belonging, that he was doing his part to keep the streets clean. He didn’t have any illusions that he’d ever be one of the big cheeses, not even among the unpowered members, but that was all right. This was enough, him and his crew. Johnny joking along with Stu, a comradely arm around his neck, Williams punching L in the shoulder, but the both of them laughing about it. This was what it was about.

Matt took a couple of long strides and caught up to the others, elbowing Johnny out of the way to allow him the spot next to Stu. “You did good back there.”

“You think so?” Stu lit up like a little puppy at the praise.

“I know so. Listen kid, plenty of folks talk a big game about believing in the cause then disappear when it comes time to put up or shut up. You didn’t. You stood up to be counted. You’ve got a lion’s heart in here.” Matt thumped a hand against his chest.

Stu beamed, then glanced over his shoulder at the others. He leaned closer to Matt, lowering his voice to a murmur. “You think Johnny, L, Williams and—” he stumbled over his words, a brief frown flickering across his face. “You think they like me too?”

“Course they do, just keep proving yourself,” replied Matt, pulling away with one last pat on the back. Didn’t want to make the kid think it was job done just yet. They had to finish up here, sure, and then there was the next night, the night after, the night after. Brockton Bay wasn’t going to be rid of its problems in a day. Couldn’t let Stu get carried away.

“We ready to head back?” asked Williams after another half a block.

Matt considered, then nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go home,” he raised his voice slightly. “Ready for a fucking hero’s welcome, boys?”

Johnny whooped, and the others cheered again. L actually started doing a stupid little dance and chant, which Matt thought he might have stolen from a sports team. That went on for a few seconds until L broke off into a coughing fit, doubling over. Williams thumped him on the back, rolling his eyes.

“Gotta cut the smoking, man. Shit’ll kill you.”

L spluttered something that might have been a ‘yeah’, still hacking and wheezing. Johnny shook his head with a grin, then started back off again. Stu looked at Matt questioningly, and Matt gave him a nod, following Johnny. A few seconds later, the coughing stopped, and two more sets of footfalls rejoined theirs.

They turned left at the next street corner, cutting towards the warehouse that was homebase for tonight. Matt’s cell boss would be there, and a bunch of the others. They’d all be eager to see them back, probably some money would change hands over the fact Stu had shown the balls to follow through. Probably some more money after they learned what kind of trash Matt and co. had cleaned off the streets.

He felt one more surge of satisfaction. They’d got what Matt liked to call a twofer, a queer who, not happy with one kind of unnatural shit, decided to double down by dating outside her own race. At least she wasn’t keeping another white woman out of the breeding pool, but it was still disgusting—

Johnny looked back, starting to speak, but then stopped with a sudden frown. “Hey, where’s L?”

“Fuck are you talking about?” said Williams. He gestured to the side. “Right here, dumbass.”

Matt glanced over his shoulder and hold it, whe—yeah, there L was, walking right at Williams’ side. He raised an eyebrow at Johnny. “You hit your head on something, man?”

Johnny blinked several times. “Wha… no, no, I’m fine, I’m fine. I just—” he laughed, just a little shakily. “I guess the dark’s playing tricks on me.”

“Losing your touch, man,” said L, pulling a smirk.

“Ah whatever.” Johnny threw his hands up and resumed walking. Matt and the others followed.

As they reached the next street corner, Williams suddenly stumbled, he whipped around furiously.

“I said not to touch my fucking bag, asswipe!” he snarled at nobody in particular.

Ugh. Williams was being weirdly touchy this evening. They’d just had a completely successful initiation and he apparently had something lodged square up his ass. “Give it a rest,” said Matt. “Nobody touched the damn bag.”

Williams glared at him. Oh, they were doing this alpha male shit now? Matt met the glare straight back. Sure, Williams had muscles, tattoos, a shaven head, but that was all he was. After a few seconds, Williams must have seen the look in Matt’s eyes, because he broke contact and muttered something that probably didn’t count as an apology but was good as he was going to get. Matt pushed it anyway, catching Williams’ attention once he looked back and gesturing onward, inviting him to take the lead. Scowling, Williams did so.

He passed Stu, who had stopped to gawk, and Johnny, who was leaning against the wall, resting his lazy ass again. Matt moved along after him, bringing Stu along in his wake. He paused a little ways further along, realising that he wasn’t hearing Johnny following, and looked back to see Johnny still slouched against the brick. Goddammit, had everyone just decided to piss in Matt’s cheerios at this exact moment? Time to lay down the law.

“Listen, this isn’t over until it’s over. We’ll have time to fuck around when we get back. Do you all want to get caught out on the street with a bag full of weapons?”

Stu mumbled a no, Williams just nodded. Johnny pushed himself off from the wall, face pale and bloodless, mouth—giving an apologetic shrug, cheeks still looking flush with exertion. “Sorry.”

“Whatever,” said Matt, walking on.

They made it five, count them, five whole minutes without further incident when Stu started to get twitchy again, looking at Matt, blinking, looking at Williams. He started to jerk back and forth, switching his eyes between them both, before twisting around entirely and letting out a piercing yelp, eyes bugging out.

“Someone’s—there’s something wrong!” he shook wildly, twisting around in circles until Williams stopped him, clasping his shoulder with a meaty hand. Stu continued trembling like a leaf. “Someone’s missing!”

Oh for the love of god.

Matt stepped over to him, taking his chin in a gentle grip, forcing him to look into his eyes. “You need to chill the fuck out,” he said softly. “Or I might need to reconsider my assessment of you.”

Stu’s eyes were wide, whites showing, pupils dilated. “No no no, something’s wrong.”

Matt let out a breath that turned into a frustrated snarl. “Me,” he pointed to himself. “You,” he shoved Stu’s free shoulder. “Williams,” point. “L—” he pointed behind him.

Stu stared at him. Williams blinked, then swallowed. Matt looked between the two of them, then turned. Nobody was there.

“I told you,” Stu whispered hoarsely. Williams let him go, then gave a soft sigh.

“L?” Matt called out to the darkened street. “You there, man?”

“Johnny, Johnny, Johnny L,” Stu mumbled to himself, then suddenly jolted upright. “Johnny! And Johnny L! They’re both—where are they!?”

Johnny? What was he—oh, duh, Johnny! Johnny was right there too, he’d been with them a second…a second...ago.

The street was empty. No Johnnys in sight.

“Oh shit,” said Matt, ice trickling down his spine.

“Run,” growled Williams.

No second invitation needed, Matt broke into a sprint. Some bad juju was going down here and they were at the centre of it.

The two of them fled, Stu and Matt and—they ran like hell. Something had gotten to the Johnnys and W—Matt didn’t intend to be the next victim of whatever it was.

“Split up!” hollered a voice, and Matt obeyed, hitting the end of a street and tearing off in the opposite direction to Stu. It was another ten steps before he realised that the deep rasp wasn’t one he recognised and skidded to a halt, whirling round and sprinting back after the kid. Couldn’t leave a man behind, especially not the new one, Williams would never—

Where was Williams? Matt almost tripped mid-run as the thought of his musclebound second slammed into him like a freight train. Had he somehow _forgotten_ that Williams was there? This didn’t make sense, this didn’t make the slightest—

Stu made a hard right into an alleyway. Matt swore, making up the remaining ground in a few more seconds, and then turned in after him. Relief shot through him as he saw his protege standing his ground in the middle of the alley, back to Matt.

“Fucking hell, kid, you trying to give me a heart attack? Come on, we can’t stop here!”

Stu slowly turned around and Matt’s blood ran cold. Two knives were buried to the hilt in his neck and blood was pouring out of a gaping rent in his abdomen. His mouth moved soundlessly and he st—nodded in relief, panting a mile a minute.

“Y-yeah, let’s go!” he stumbled towards Matt, staggered, put out a hand to steady himself. Matt caught him, stood him up with a chastisement on his lips.

That was, that was suddenly difficult to get out. Short of breath.

He blinked, swaying. This alleyway, why was he alone in an alleyway? He’d been running from whatever had gotten to the Johnnys and Williams, then he’d come in here because... because why, again?

Matt turned around, or tried to, suddenly finding his legs giving out from underneath him. Wha...what? Why did he feel so weak? His mouth tasted of copper.

He was here because, he’d followed...Stu? Where was—

“Stuh….Stuh...Stuh…” Matt managed, more sounds than words. It was so hard to breathe, to talk. Hadn’t Stu just been here? He’d been right in front of him, how…?

A face swam into focus above him, a twisted, hateful face. A length of rope hung from their neck.

Recognition.

“Yuh...you.”

“Me,” she snarled back, the voice a growling refrain of the faint cries for help she’d mustered as they dragged her off the street, a bag over her head.

Impossible, this was impossible. She was dead! He saw her die!

She reached down and gripped something. His eyes followed her movement to the knife planted in his chest.

“I hope you burn in hell, you nazi piece of shit,” she hissed.

Then she began to drag the knife downwards.

Matt’s attempts to scream didn’t last very long.


End file.
